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Parrot Fever Learning Center

Parrot Fever

What is parrot fever?

Parrot fever is a rare infection caused by Chlamydia psittaci, a specific type of bacteria. The
infection is also known as parrot disease and psittacosis. According to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States has seen fewer than 10 human
cases of parrot fever each year since 2010. However,
many cases may be undiagnosed or unreported because the symptoms are similar to
those of other illnesses.

As the name suggests, the disease is acquired from birds. Parrots
are not the only possible culprits, however. Other wild and pet birds may also
carry the infection and pass it to humans.

Parrot fever has been reported in countries including Argentina,
Australia, and England. It may be found anywhere birds are kept as pets or in
large confined populations (such as poultry farms). It’s more common in
tropical environments.

Contracting
parrot fever

In most cases, humans catch parrot fever from birds, including:

parrots

chickens

turkeys

pigeons

parakeets

cockatiels

ducks

You can catch parrot fever by handling an infected bird or
breathing in fine particles of its urine, feces, or other bodily excretions.
You may also become infected if the bird bites you or "kisses" you by touching
its beak to your mouth.

Catching the disease from an infected person is also possible,
but very rare. This may occur when you inhale the fine droplets that are
sprayed into the air when the sick person coughs.

Recognizing
a bird with parrot fever

Infected birds don’t necessarily show symptoms. They can also
carry the bacteria for months before any outward signs appear. Just because a
bird does not look or act sick does not mean that it’s not infected.

Infected birds may shiver or have difficulty breathing. Other
symptoms include:

discharge from the eyes or nose

diarrhea

discolored droppings (urine or feces) in various
shades of green

weight loss

lethargy and sleepiness

The sick bird may eat less or even stop eating completely.

Symptoms

In people, this disease typically resembles the flu or
pneumonia. Symptoms usually begin approximately 10 days after exposure, but they
may take as few as four days or as many as 19 days to show up.

Parrot fever has many of the symptoms that you might associate
with the flu, including:

fever
and chills

nausea
and vomiting

muscle
and joint pain

diarrhea

weakness

fatigue

cough
(typically dry)

Other possible symptoms, which may not seem flu-like, include
chest pain, shortness of breath, and sensitivity to light.

In rare cases, the disease may cause inflammation of various
internal organs. These include the brain, liver, and parts of the heart. It can
also lead to decreased lung function and pneumonia.

Diseases that have symptoms similar to parrot fever include:

brucellosis, a
bacterial infection that is normally found in livestock but can be transmitted
to humans

tularemia, a rare disease (typically
found in rabbits and rodents) that can be transmitted to humans via a tick
bite, an infected fly, or contact with the infected small mammal itself

Diagnosing
parrot fever

Since parrot fever is such a rare condition, your doctor may not
suspect this disease at first. Be sure to tell your doctor if you have recently
been exposed to any potentially sick birds or if you work in a pet shop,
veterinarian’s office, poultry-processing plant, or any other workplace that
puts you in contact with birds.

To diagnose parrot fever, your doctor will generally perform
several tests. Blood and sputum cultures can reveal whether you have the type
of bacteria that causes this infection. A chest X-ray can show the pneumonia
that is sometimes caused by the disease.

Your doctor will order an antibody titer test to
see if you have antibodies to the bacteria that causes parrot fever. Antibodies
are proteins that the immune system produces when it detects a foreign, harmful
substance (antigen) such as bacteria or a parasite. Changes in the level of
antibodies can indicate that you have been infected with the bacteria that
causes parrot fever.

Treatment

Parrot fever is treated with antibiotics. Tetracycline and doxycycline are
two antibiotics that are effective against this disease. However, your doctor
may sometimes choose to treat you with other types or classes of antibiotics.
Very young children may be treated with azithromycin.

After diagnosis, antibiotic treatment typically continues for 10
to 14 days after the fever resolves.

Most people who are treated for parrot fever make a full
recovery. However, recovery may be slow in people who are older, very young, or
who have other health issues. Still, parrot fever rarely causes death in humans
who have received proper treatment.

Prevention

If you have pet birds, you can take steps to reduce your chances
of getting parrot fever. These include cleaning your birdcages every day and
taking good care of your birds to help prevent them from getting sick. Feed
your birds properly and give them enough space so they’re not crowded together
in the cage. If you have more than one cage, make sure the cages are far apart
so that feces and other matter can’t be transferred between them.

The following are other steps you can take to prevent parrot
fever.

If you acquire a new bird, have it looked at by a veterinarian.
It’s good to then isolate the bird and monitor it for sickness for at least 30
days before you allow it to contact other birds.

If you see a sick or dead bird (whether it’s wild or a pet), you
should not touch it. Contact your city’s animal control service to remove a
dead wild bird. If it’s a pet, you should use caution when touching or moving
it. Use gloves and a mask to avoid breathing in any bacteria, feather dust, or other
debris. You should also disinfect the cage and all equipment the bird has used
to prevent infection or reinfection.

A history of
parrot fever

Late in the year of 1929,
Simon S. Martin of Baltimore purchased a parrot for his wife as a Christmas
gift. He asked relatives to care for it until Christmas day. The parrot looked
increasingly ill as time passed. By Christmas day, the bird was dead. Soon
after, two relatives who cared for the birds became ill. Lillian, Martin’s
wife, also became ill. Their doctor had recently read about parrot fever and
suspected it was the cause. When the doctor asked the U.S. Public Health
service for medication to treat it, he was told that there was no known
treatment.

The case was featured in a
newspaper, and the fear of parrot fever spread rapidly. The overall number of
cases also increased dramatically. This is because doctors began to look for
pet birds in the homes and businesses of people with symptoms resembling flu or
pneumonia. The American media created a panic about this new mysterious
illness, and inaccurate reports of the number of related fatalities only
increased this panic. However, the heightened awareness of parrot fever also
presented scientists with enough subjects to eventually isolate the germ and
find a treatment for it.

This feature is for informational purposes only and should not be used to replace the care and information received from your health care provider. Please consult a health care professional with any health concerns you may have.